Army rejects Pak report of 8 Indian soldiers killed

Army rejects Pak report of 8 Indian soldiers killed

New Delhi/Islamabad: Indian Army today rejected as “false and baseless” reports in a section of Pakistani media that eight Indian soldiers were killed and one captured by Pakistani military in retaliatory fire.

Indian Army sources said, “As regard (to the) report of killing of eight Indian Army personnel reported in sections of Pakistan media, the report is completely false and baseless.”

Army’s reaction came after Dawn News reported that Pakistani military has claimed that it has killed eight Indian soldiers and captured one while retaliating to India’s firing at the first line of defence at the Line of Control (LoC) at Tatta Pani.

Interestingly, the report in Dawn News that claimed that eight Indian soldiers were killed was taken off from its website in the night. Earlier, Dawn paper had also reported that an Indian soldier had been captured and was identified as 22-year-old Chandu Babulal Chohan son of Bashan Chohan from Maharashtra.

Indian Army sources, however, said, “one soldier from 37 RR with weapon has inadvertently crossed over to the other side of the Line of Control. Pakistan has been informed by the DGMO on the hotline.” The sources said his crossing over was not related to the surgical strikes.

“Such inadvertent crossing by Army and civilians are not unusual on either side. They are returned through existing mechanisms,” they said. A source in the Northern Command also indicated that Chohan was an army deserter.

The Dawn report said he has been shifted to an undisclosed location. The report also had said, “The dead bodies of the Indian soldiers are still to be recovered by the Indian forces as they lay unattended at the LoC.”